Police hunt hospital rapist

Detectives investigating the rape in hospital of a grandmother suffering from terminal cancer say the attack could have been carried out by another patient.

The frail 71-year-old was being treated at King's College Hospital, south London, when she was attacked and raped in a cubicle, yards from her bed, in the early hours of 30 April.

She had gone to the lavatory on the ward where she was followed by a man, pushed to the floor and assaulted. Police say the man then ran from the ward.

The woman was so shocked by her ordeal that she did not tell anyone, including her family, about it for three weeks.

Detectives were today looking at CCTV footage for clues.

Asked if another patient could have carried out the attack, a Metropolitan Police spokesman said: "We are keeping an open mind - we cannot rule that out."

A spokeswoman for the hospital said: "Everybody is a suspect."

The grandmother only revealed what had happened weeks later when talking to a doctor, who immediately reported the attack to police.

The victim is believed to have only months to live and had been in hospital for an operation when she was attacked.

Detective Inspector Martin Ward of Streatham Police, who is leading the investigation, said: "What happened is simply indescribable. This is a most serious crime on a vulnerable pensioner and we're doing all we can to catch this man before he strikes again."

The woman, who cannot be identified, was on a mixed ward which had patients of all ages suffering from cancer and other serious illnesses.

Staff at the hospital were shocked and upset when they heard about what had happened .

One staff member said: "It is one of the worst things anybody has ever heard of happening in a hospital.

"The victim is dying of cancer and the last memory her family are going to have of her is the fact she was raped."

The woman has since left the hospital and is now back in her South-East home with her husband and family.

Police say that, although the woman was taking powerful cancer drugs as part of her treatment, they have evidence to confirm her story.

Mr Ward added: "She didn't report what had happened straightaway because she said she was ashamed about it. She went home from hospital and finally mentioned it a few weeks later.

"She is a much-loved grandmother and outstanding member of the community."

The attack has opened up new fears about hospital security, although visitors to the ward where the woman was raped have to tap in a special code to open a combination lock.

The hospital's spokeswoman said: "We have extended our sympathies to the patient and her family.

"The hospital trust is working closely with the police investigation."